DOCUMENTARY

New Life Blossoms in an Old Village:
Seven Years of Struggle and Hope
DOCUMENTARY
2013
48 mins Episode(s): 1
English
English
English
English
The aging of Japan's population is steadily hollowing out the country's agriculture.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, a struggling farming community in Ishikawa Prefecture called Sugaike began trying to attract young residents. Hiroyuki Yago is one of the people who came. He moved from Osaka to Sugaike in order to grow organic vegetables, but there wasn't enough farmland available to rent and he has trouble making a living. Nevertheless, the locals have accepted Yago as one of their own, and he intends to stay. By 2012, there were three new families in Sugaike; abandoned land began to spring back to life, and a local dance festival that had not been held for 10 years was revived. Yago was there at the center of the dancing, cheered on by joyful longtime residents.
This program chronicles seven years in the life of a young man, who wanted to start a new life in the countryside by joining a community that is trying to adapt to the consequences of Japan's aging, shrinking population.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, a struggling farming community in Ishikawa Prefecture called Sugaike began trying to attract young residents. Hiroyuki Yago is one of the people who came. He moved from Osaka to Sugaike in order to grow organic vegetables, but there wasn't enough farmland available to rent and he has trouble making a living. Nevertheless, the locals have accepted Yago as one of their own, and he intends to stay. By 2012, there were three new families in Sugaike; abandoned land began to spring back to life, and a local dance festival that had not been held for 10 years was revived. Yago was there at the center of the dancing, cheered on by joyful longtime residents.
This program chronicles seven years in the life of a young man, who wanted to start a new life in the countryside by joining a community that is trying to adapt to the consequences of Japan's aging, shrinking population.
Customers who watch this video also watch
-
Festivals of Japan Series- Season 1
2017 30 minsThis is the first season of the Festivals of Japan Series, which introduces various festivals around Japan. In this 12 episode season, we will explore the festivals themselves, their histories, and the people responsible for preserving, cherishing, and passing on their traditions. From giant sea bream floats, children`s kabuki, portable...more details -
Mikoji -Jisa, Anesa, and a 19-year-old Spring-
2018 30 mins[Festivals of Japan Season 2] The "Mikoji Dance" is a 150-year-old dance performed during the Taromaru Shuuraku Spring Festival in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture. In this dance, the sitting doll of an old man and the standing doll of a young woman comically dance to the accompaniment of vibrant drums,...more details -
The Namahage Sedo Festival -Oga Peninsula-
2017 30 mins[Festivals of Japan Season 1] The Namahage of Akita is an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan that is both extremely popular and well-recognized. One of the three largest festivals in Japan, the "Namahage Sedo Festival" is a combination of this "Namahage" and local shrine festivities. This episode describes the...more details -
"Little Yuna" - His Daughter's Legacy after the Great East Japan Earthquake -
2024 2025 WordMediaFestivals Siver 2025 New York Festivals Silver Norio Kimura, who lost his wife and father in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster and whose 7-year-old daughter, Yuna, remained missing until a bone fragment was found nearly six years later due to nuclear zone restrictions, now channels...more details